best overtures- Page 2
best overtures
thevolleyballer
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/29/04
#25re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 2:40pmI've always liked Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers, Mamma Mia!, and Seussical. :)
leap_of_moo
Stand-by Joined: 12/20/04
#26re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 2:44pmThe overatures from Candide, Man of La Mancha, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are some of my favourites.
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#27re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 4:06pm
I think the best overtures are (in no particular order):
CATS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
CHICAGO
SUNSET BOULEVARD
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
MY FAIR LADY
Josh Freilich
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#28re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 4:47pm
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Mamma Mia
Tommy
All Shook Up
The Producers
Gypsy
Candide
On the Twentieth Century
My Fair Lady
Spamalot
Light in the Piazza
Crazy for You
Of Thee I Sing
Funny Girl
Kismet
Jubilee
Bye Bye Birdie
My Favorite Year
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Big River
Chicago
Little Women: The Musical
Prodigal
Seussical
She Loves Me
The Full Monty
Urinetown
Wonderful Town
"How could she just suddenly, completely disappear into thin water?" - The Little Mermaid
BNN
Broadway Star Joined: 12/12/05
#29re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 4:48pm
In order:
Bye Bye Birdie
West Side Story
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Sweet Charity
and Wicked
Tick Tock
#30re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 4:58pm
My top three are:
High Spirits
Funny Girl
My Fair Lady
"I believe that art does not exist only to entertain, but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, to engage in a constant search for the truth."
- Barbra Streisand
blaxx
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
#31re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 5:19pmI agree with Cats, it does have an incredible overture.
Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE
LorelaiGilmore
Broadway Star Joined: 8/30/05
#32re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 6:00pmI'm probably missing a ton, considering the fact that i only have four on the list, but Piazza, Chicago, Candide and DRS
oy with the poodles already!
C is for Company
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/16/05
#33re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 6:12pm
Candide
Urinetown
Light in the Piazza
The Color Purple
West Side Story
Chicago
Merrily We Roll Along
These are no particular order, I just admire them so much, they, for the mostpart, sound brilliant
MarkCohen
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/04
#35re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 8:27pmoh yeah Candide, durh
Don't f*ck with me fellas. This ain't my first time at the rodeo.
millie_dillmount
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/04
#36re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 8:29pm
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Gypsy
Wonderful Town
Chicago
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Phantom of the Opera
Sweet Charity
The Producers
Spamalot
Little Women
Doesn't count, but: Cabaret Enrt'acte
I usually like overtures, rarely there is one I don't like at all.
"We like to snark around here. Sometimes we actually talk about theater...but we try not to let that get in our way." - dramamama611
#37re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 8:54pm"Gypsy" is surely the greatest overture ever written, "Camelot" is the most memorable and any of the overtures for the classic Rodgers and Hart shows by Hans Spialek ("On Your Toes" "Babes in Arms" "Pal Joey") are wonderous but my vote is for one of the most pioneering, trendsetting overtures. In an age when EVERY show had a five minute overture, (which BTW was mainly to force the audiece into their seats from the lobby and street as if to say "hey, the show really is starting" and yes, people DID walk in during the overture) "Brigadoon" gets the job done - sets the mood, identifies the location and revs up the audience in a mere one page overture (I assume 96 to 128 bars). Then 48 brief bars of vocal voice-over and straight into the exposition scene. Amazing and daring for its time.
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=972787#3631451
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=963561#3533883
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955158#3440952
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954269#3427915
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=955012#3441622
http://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=954344#3428699
billygoatgirl300
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/8/04
#38re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 10:08pm
Gypsy
Candide
Wonderful Town
Sweet Charity
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Light in the Piazza
The towel waving reminded me of a Per?nist rally. I kept chanting "Evita!" whenever they'd pan to the crowds. - SM2
brdlwyr
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/14/05
jonartdesigns
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/04
#42re: best overtures
Posted: 3/25/06 at 11:19pm
chicago
dirty rotten scoundrels
millie
how to succeed (revival)
"Grease," the fourth revival of the season, is the worst show in the history of theater and represents an unparalleled assault on Western civilization and its values. - Michael Reidel
kjklo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/03
musicaltheater1
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/05
#44re: best overtures
Posted: 3/26/06 at 12:26amI enjoy the overtures of most of R&H's plays: Sound of Music, King & I, Carousel, South Pacific, & Flower Drum Song. My Fair Lady and West Side Story also have great overtures. For the more recent plays, I'd vote for Les Mis and Miss Saigon.
"I love acting. It is so much more real than life." Oscar Wilde
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Aldous Huxley
"After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." Aldous Huxley
#45re: best overtures
Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:44amMamma Mia as well, its Entra'cte is great as well
Herbie: "Honey, Don't you know there's a depression?"
Rose: "Of Course I know, I Watch Fox News"
-(modified)Gypsy
Broadway Schedule
December 5th- Hamilton, On Your Feet
December 19th- Noises Off, Edith Piaf Concert at Town Hall
Rose: "Of Course I know, I Watch Fox News"
-(modified)Gypsy
Broadway Schedule
December 5th- Hamilton, On Your Feet
December 19th- Noises Off, Edith Piaf Concert at Town Hall
kooky
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/12/05
Mr Roxy
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/17/03
#47re: best overtures
Posted: 3/26/06 at 11:51am
High Spirits
Any Jule Styne
Any Jerry Herman
Poster Emeritus
Colle
Broadway Star Joined: 2/13/06
#48re: best overtures
Posted: 3/27/06 at 9:02am
My favorite overturnes are:
"Miss Saigon"
"Les Miserables," even though it is short for an overturn, I like it because it is powerful.
The "Cats" overture is pretty good too.
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